Bad policy, greed put middle class at risk

Tuesday

I've been unemployed for 23 months. I don't like it, and if it was up to me, I would rather be working. I've worked all my life.

Iíve been unemployed for 23 months. I donít like it, and if it was up to me, I would rather be working. Iíve worked all my life.

I have two degrees from a Big Ten university. Iíve held titles of manager, director and vice president at several different companies. I might not be the stereotypical unemployed worker, but I sure am part of todayís unemployed.

I believe the middle class in this country systematically is being destroyed by greed and bad policy. That is why I took to the streets on Nov. 17 in support of the countrywide Occupy movement. The problem is quite clear. Three years after our nationís leading financial institutions wrecked our economy, 25 million people still are unable to find full-time work, and the gap between the richest 1 percent and poorest 99 percent continues to deepen and widen. As our policy-makers donít make policy, the gap grows. Doing nothing is a prescription for disaster in the years ahead.

Ninety-nine percent of this countryís people have played by the rules. We have paid our taxes, saved for our childrenís education and saved for retirement. But this countryís richest 1 percent have played fast and loose with our mortgages, our retirement plans and our jobs. This isnít right, and it isnít fair.

The Occupy movement is about correcting what isnít right and what isnít fair in this country.

Iíve heard people say that the Occupy movement is a great idea, but it doesnít have any specific demands. Here are my specific demands:

ē I want the CEOs of the top five offending financial institutions that caused our countryís recent financial meltdown to be convicted of at least one felony each. I believe they knew exactly what was happening within their organizations.

ē If they claim they didnít know, then I want each board of directors to summarily fire them for gross incompetence and issue a public letter of reprimand.

JOHN REAT

Worthington

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